High school ball vs. Select ball

[liveintex]

I would be curious to hear your take of how select ball prepares our kids for high school ball. No doubt that select ball is where it's at but I'm curious to hear experiences of when/if your daughter made it to her varsity squad. If you have a 14 year old playing 16U and doing well, is she varsity ready or is the talent so deep now that a varsity team is nothing but high-level 16U players so it's rare for a freshman or sophomore to make the varsity team? I know that talent varies from school to school but generally speaking what do you all think?

*disclaimer* - My daughter is not near the age where this question would be relevent. I'm just trying to see how high school ball differs fro m select since I have not seen a HS game.

[JCates]

My daughter is in 7th grade, so she has not had to deal with this. However, players she has played select ball with in the past (she always played up until I held her in 12U this year) are doing very well at the High School level. I can think of two right off the top of my head that are starting as freshman...one at catcher and one plays CF/SS. Both are hitting well.

[txfastptchcoach]

I would be curious to hear your take of how select ball prepares our kids for high school ball. No doubt that select ball is where it's at but I'm curious to hear experiences of when/if your daughter made it to her varsity squad. If you have a 14 year old playing 16U and doing well, is she varsity ready or is the talent so deep now that a varsity team is nothing but high-level 16U players so it's rare for a freshman or sophomore to make the varsity team? I know that talent varies from school to school but generally speaking what do you all think?

*disclaimer* - My daughter is not near the age where this question would be relevent. I'm just trying to see how high school ball differs fro m select since I have not seen a HS game.

This is my take on girls that are 14 years old. I think if you are in the 8th grade you should play in 14U and if you are in High school (9th grade) you should at least be playing 16U because you need to be seen as soon as you hit high school by College scouts. To answer your question; it varies from District to District because some are stronger than others. Look at the teams that are ranked in 4A and 5A they are predominately upper classmen on those teams as a whole. Is there REALLY good freshmen/sophomores, YES sir and more will follow, but for the most part they are upper classmen. I've watched our JV play and I think they might have loss one game ALL season and mercy ruled 3/4 of the teams they have played. They have several girls that are freshmen and sophomores that would start for other teams (Varsity) in other Districts. I guess if you don't like the scenario you can always move before her freshmen year of school. I know one thing there are ALOT of girls in our District that know more about the game of softball then most of the JV coaches. It's pitiful not bad to watch sometimes and mine hasn’t hit high school yet.

[liveintex]

Thanks for the replies and I look forward to the others to come. To clarify though, and speaking only for myself, I would never move for the sole purpose of allowing my daughter to get more playing time at a high school. I'll leave that to the Southlake Carroll parents....

[Joe]

*disclaimer* - My daughter is not near the age where this question would be relevent. I'm just trying to see how high school ball differs fro m select since I have not seen a HS game.

Really?

...."and since I have not seen a HS game"? Is that what it takes to make this a relevant question...to "see" a HS game?

[Lunatic Fringe]

From my perspective, High School ball at the JV level is like travel ball with a serious head injury.

Varsity at a top school program looks like a decent 18u gold team (by top program, I mean Nationally ranked by ESPN) Even for a top rated varsity program, most of the competition won't be 18u gold travel standard.

Your kid won't be recruited out of HS. She will be recruited by attending exposure tournaments and camps and by your/her efforts to cultivate the recruiters during travel ball.

[soreshins]

The quality of a high school teams is determined by the number of legit gold level players on the roster. Some schools have 9 gold level players some have none. Classification really doesn't matter a 3A team with 6 gold level players will defeat a 5A team that has 2 or 3. At some schools in the 5A division the bottom of order may include a couple of kids who don't play softball outside of school.

Whether a freshman can make varsity depends on how many good players are already at the school. If you can hit, chances are you will make the varsity. Pitchers are a whole different story. Many high schools don't have single serviceable pitcher. So a freshman that knows what they doing may wind up being the number 1 pitcher. Other schools have 2 solid pitchers on the squad, so a good freshman pitcher may play on the JV.

It also depends on the philosophy of the coach. A high school softball team is also a social organization. No one is going to get fired if the softball team has a poor record. Some coaches allow mediocre seniors to play and sit freshman phenoms on the bench. Freshman parents get mad, but the coaches don't care. Its the seniors' turn to play.

Other coaches play the best 9 and sit mediocre upperclassman. The freshman phenoms play and the upperclassman parents get mad. Again, the coaches don't care.

[fattazzdaddycoach]

This is my take on girls that are 14 years old. I think if you are in the 8th grade you should play in 14U and if you are in High school (9th grade) you should at least be playing 16U because you need to be seen as soon as you hit high school by College scouts. To answer your question; it varies from District to District because some are stronger than others. Look at the teams that are ranked in 4A and 5A they are predominately upper classmen on those teams as a whole. Is there REALLY good freshmen/sophomores, YES sir and more will follow, but for the most part they are upper classmen. I've watched our JV play and I think they might have loss one game ALL season and mercy ruled 3/4 of the teams they have played. They have several girls that are freshmen and sophomores that would start for other teams (Varsity) in other Districts. I guess if you don't like the scenario you can always move before her freshmen year of school. I know one thing there are ALOT of girls in our District that know more about the game of softball then most of the JV coaches. It's pitiful not bad to watch sometimes and mine hasn’t hit high school yet.[/quote]


We must live in the same District!!

[JoeRussell56]

Guys,

I have been watching high school ball this year and I am here to report I have seen some real good teams and some real poor teams!

You want to know what the worst thing about high school ball really is?

OK I will tell you anyway! LOL

The high number of very good high school softball players that could have been "great" if they had played select.

I am really shocked at the number of girls I have seen playing who did not play select for whatever reason!

Hey maybe that's a project for the Dallas Donkeys???? LOL

[texdocbay]

I have been watching both select and high school ball. If you love softball and watching the girls play, it does not matter, you will have fun at both. I agree with some of the posts that every school situation is different. There are districts that are stronger than others and UIL classification does not matter most of the time. Most high school teams have some select players. Even that does not make all the difference. IF is pretty easy to tell as in most sports which players have had the extra lessons and playing experience and those that have not. In high school ball, all the players are not there to major in softball. There are some great athletes that crossover from other sports and make a contribution.
I have a dg that just started highschool and is a freshman on varsity. She was able to pitch seven games in preseason and was 5 and 2. She has not pitched a single district game because of a senior pitcher on the squad. SO, she waits her turn. No big deal. Starting next year it will be her job to earn and keep for the next three years. In the meantime, she contributes at other positions and the plate and keeps her skills up with select ball and private lessons. She was able to bring eight yrs select ball to the table. About half the team has select experience and five of the players have signed college letters of intent. Still, they are 500 in district play. They might make the playoffs and they might not. It is the games and the play that they enjoy. Working as a team, contributing to a goal, learning patience and transitioning to the 18u level is a worhtwhile experience. Coaching assignments in high school sports are not always made on knowledge of the game.

My other DG is in 8th and next yr she will be a freshman on varsity.